Woman convicted for Posing as a Doctor to Target Elderly

Kamlesh Bassi, aged 58, of Coventry, was found guilty of fraud at Warwick Crown Court on Friday, March 29, 2019, after she posed as a doctor to target elderly people.

In total, she was convicted of seven counts of fraud by false representation and three counts of supplying a prescription-only medicinal product.

Bassi used a number of aliases within the healthcare industry to persuade elderly people to pay for services.

Bassi pretended to be a qualified medical doctor, a nurse, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, an osteopath and a chiropractor.

It is believed that her targets were all from the West Midlands. She made people pay for her services including work as a masseuse and home help.

Bassi had also put three people’s lives at risk after she supplied Naproxen to them, which were her own prescription tablets.

Hannah Sidaway, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said:

“Bassi deliberately targeted vulnerable individuals.

“By lying about her credentials she abused their trust, gained access to their homes and potentially put their lives at risk by supplying Naproxen without knowing their medical history.”

The CPS presented medical evidence to highlight the dangerous consequences that Naproxen could have had on Bassi’s targets.

Naproxen is commonly used to relieve pain. However, drowsiness and nausea are some of the side effects.

Following a trial at Warwick Crown Court, Bassi was found guilty. She now faces jail when she is sentenced on May 5, 2019, at the same court.

Kamlesh Bassi, from Troyes Close, will remain in custody until her sentencing hearing takes place.

Ms Sidaway added: “Bassi acted selfishly for her own financial gain.

“She was a danger to the public and especially the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”

“Her conviction serves as a reminder that those who fraudulently offer medical services will be robustly prosecuted by the CPS.”

In a separate case of fraud, a Bradford-based man was convicted for posing as a policeman in order to steal over £10,000 worth of gold.

Adnan Qureshi acted under his brother-in-law Zain Khan, who ran the operation in which they pretending to be police officers and conned women out of money and jewellery.

Khan had already been jailed but Qureshi emerged as a suspect when telephone evidence linked him to the crime.

Qureshi’s barrister Shufqat Khan told the court that his client had been manipulated by his brother-in-law to commit the crime.

Judge Colin Burn took into account Mr Khan’s point and sentenced Qureshi to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, along with a six-month curfew order.